MAS Context : Analog Corkins Lodge 2012

From October 20th through October 24th, 2012, a group of designers, architects, builders, photographers, graphic designers, industrial designers, business advisors, naturalists, and entrepreneurs, gathered at Corkins Lodge, New Mexico. The event, organized by MAS Context along with JNL Graphic Design and Corkins Lodge, was a gathering to facilitate intellectual exchange between emerging and established practitioners in order to explore and reflect on like-minded concerns.

The core group conversations took place Monday and Tuesday, with discussions about the motivations behind what we do, the values and aspirations of our work, the challenges we face, the exploration of opportunities ahead of us, and a series of other topics that were generated from those main conversations. The conversations benefited from the diversity of backgrounds and experiences and helped us all reflect on ourselves, the work we are doing and the role we can play in society.

Besides the discussions, the group was able to enjoy other activities in the incredible setting of Corkins Lodge such as fly fishing and swimming in the Brazos River, hiking between 9,000 ft. and 10,000 ft. above sea level, star watching (with perfect timing to enjoy a meteorite shower), Zen meditation, barbecue, foosball and ping pong games, guitar and synthesizer performances, board games, sauna and plenty of time and space for everybody to disconnect from their daily routines.

Thank you very much to Dawn, John, Damon, and all the staff at Corkins Lodge for making this a fantastic and productive event. And our most sincere thank you to our anonymous sponsor for her incredible generosity to make it all possible. It will be a week that we will all reflect on and that I am sure will be the start of many future collaborations and endeavors.

MAS Context, a quarterly journal created by MAS Studio, addresses issues that affect the urban context. Each issue delivers a comprehensive view of a single topic through the active participation of people from different fields and different perspectives who, together, instigate the debate.www.mascontext.com | @MASContext

Corkins Lodge is a private wilderness retreat located at the base of the 2,500-foot Brazos Cliffs in the scenic Chama Valley of Northern New Mexico. It includes 1,600 acres of private land and more than 2.5 miles of the Brazos River where it pours forth from the Brazos Canyon.www.corkinslodge.com

Jason Pickleman is a graphic designer and partner at JNL Graphic Design based in Chicago. His clients include the Steppenwolf Theatre, Hyde Park Art Center, The Renaissance Society, Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago Transit Authority, and Avec restaurant.www.jnldesign.com